Getting up to date

Getting up to date , is the continuation of “the journey … ” and “the saga ..” . Just a quick recap is that late last year , I left my job to pursue photography , I spent a few months not sure where to go with it, I just knew , it’s what I want to do . Then I met some photographers who were photoing fashion , 1 travels around the world the other runs a magazine .

Picking up where I left off . I was invited by one to the NYC Shootathon , and I have admit it was a bit overwhelming . I have never shot models , and this place was a wharehouse full of models and photographers . Sort of a “insta-meet ” at a higher level .

Shortly after the Shootathon , the magazine asked me if I would be interested to do a model shoot for publication . That became my eye opening moment, my ship was finally pointed in a direction . The right direction ? I’m not sure . Just heading somewhere .

The shoot . Well looking back on it , I’m not happy with my work . (Below is a shot from that first model shoot )

But , as I said , I found my way . Here I go !!! … Stop ! What ? Wait ! It’s not that easy . After that shoot the magazine asked me to contact a few models to set up a few other photoshoots . Well that didn’t work out the way I thought it would . Here is someone handing me models and I only had to contact them and set it up . But ..

1. I had no game ( how to approach these girls and get them to shoot with me ) this is all new to me .

2. I have no portfolio . The models couldn’t take me seriously if I can’t show them any previous shoots .

So it was the same reply , “I’ll let you know ” and of course never hear from them again . Then the smack in the face , I told the magazine , “none of these models will commit to a shoot ” and the eye opening moment ” you can sit there and hope they will come to you , or get off your ass and find people ” well those words would come back to haunt him . lol . because I did it with a vengeance.

First goal , build a portfolio .

Needless to say it’s still that vicious circle we get caught in . I need models to build a portfolio I need a portfolio to get the models . So I got a hold of my first girl and we did another . She was great because she had experience and didn’t need much direction . Then another set- back I found someone who was not experienced and looked at me for direction .

2nd goal , learn how to do a shoot .

At this point I had business cards made up , spent a lot of time in Central Park , and when I met people I thought had a look I wanted I would approach . Central Park you may ask ? It’s pretty simple . People are there relaxed , sitting , taking photos etc . Most other places people are on the go , running to the next spot . So if they were to interested , we would set a date and place and go from there .

I was able to do quite a few shoots , some more professional some just people who wanted to do a photoshoot . But in the end it was all practice for me . I worked with some creative models or models open to my silly ideas .

In the end , the reason the magazine would eat his words about getting off my but and finding shoots , most of the models I find , he wants to photo as well as other photographers contacting me about my models . So maybe I’m doing something right . I can say at this point , I am having no difficulty in finding models anymore , I have 9 shoots in 13 days .

3rd and final goal , how to turn this into money .

Well this is where I am at now . I been runnning around doing shoots freely , it was all trade for work . I photo you for free , you model for me for free . My general rule of thumb , if I ask for the photoshoot , I’m not charging . If someone comes to me and ask me to shoot , I will charge . I’m also offering my models a referral reward for any paid work they send my way . Also , I’m interested in doing a magazine myself , but , looking for a good partner in this venture , as I am not much of a writer . I have great ideas for the magazine , that would include my photography so if anyone here is seriously interested in this , please contact me .

I’ll fast forward so I don’t continue babbling . I have found my way , I guess as what is considered a “print” photographer . I had thought that doing fashion photography was where I was going with it . But , where’s the creativity in standing in a pit with 100 other photographers photoing the same girl walking down a runway ? My only use of doing that is to meet models who will be interested in working with me .

So after all this writing and 3 chapters of what led me here , no you know if your able to follow my writing .

occasionally i have posted on fb, but since my since passed away, i haven’t posted much of anything. i only began to post pics on here today because i previously couldn’t figure out how to except to use it as a featured image. i’m not real bright with computers!!

Oh ok . You should think about opening an instagram account . I post there and in fb . Here I’m kind of hit and miss . Actually I’m hit and miss anyways as I have 1,000’s of photos . .. haha . But I do use fb to post my photo shoots , nature pics etc . You can feel free to add me there if you wish . I can try to help you out posting photos . Though I’m not much more knowledgeable here . Haha